Rating: PG
Genre:
Comedy
Release Date: 06/04/2002
SubTitles: English/French
Dubbed: English/French
Run Time: 107 Minutes
Flags: Questionable for Children, Adult Language, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: Columbia TriStar
This modernization of
Edmond Rostand's
Cyrano de Bergerac casts
Steve Martin as C. D. Bates, the fearless, quick-witted fire chief of a Washington State resort town. Bates' most trusted fireman is the handsome but tongue-tied Chris McDonell (
Rick Rossovich). Both men are in love with the beautiful Roxanne Kowalski (
Darryl Hannah), but Bates, adorned with a huge nose that makes
Bob Hope look like
Nanette Fabray, is convinced that he's too homely to win Roxanne's heart. Thus, in the self-sacrificing tradition of
Cyrano de Bergerac, Bates courts Roxanne vicariously by feeding his rival Chris the proper romantic words and phrases. The inherent pathos in
Roxanne is offset by moments of
slapstick, notably the scene wherein C. D. Bates vanquishes a pair of hooligans with a tennis racket.
Steve Martin himself is credited with the screenplay for
Roxanne, though he generously cites
Edmond Rostand as his inspiration.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide